Seniman Coffee Studio, a New Twist on Coffee in Ubud

Sure, you can grab a coffee in any old cafe in Ubud, but serious java drinkers in the know head to Seniman Coffee Studio for the some of the best beans and brews in Bali. This specialty coffee shop focuses on high-quality organic coffee, sourced in Indonesia and prepared with an attention to detail and technique. If you’re a coffee connoisseur, you’ll agree with their mantra proudly displayed on the signboard that “Life is too Short for Bad Coffee”.

Seniman Coffee Studio owners David Sullivan and Rodney Glick wanted to create a space that was devoted not only to premium coffee, but also to delivering an experience that goes above and beyond the run of the mill espresso machine and take-away latte joints. The result is fresh, organic coffee, roasted in house and brewed and poured by hand. Moreover, the space is a celebration of modern and contemporary design and environmentally responsible practices.

The single-origin coffee beans used in Seniman Cafe come from coffee plantations from around Indonesia, including Bali, Java, Sumatra, and Papua, and they arrive at the cafe fresh, green and ready to be roasted.The beans are roasted on site, and you can choose from dark, medium and light roasts. For the uninitiated, there is a flow chart in the menu that describes the flavours and intensity of each type of roast, as well as suggestions and tasting notes for the different beans.

You won’t see a conventional coffee pot or espresso machine in Seniman, as each of the coffee orders is prepared by hand, either by pouring the coffee through a special syphon or hand pulling the brew. If you’re curious about the pouring techniques, ask any of the staff members to explain, as each and every employee has gone through rigorous training by skilled coffee masters from Taiwan.

The name Seniman means ‘artist’ in Indonesian, and the cafe lives up to its name with its fresh, funky interior, retro coffee cart at street level, and innovative furniture and glassware. Grab a seat at the bar in one of the plastic chairs converted into rockers, order a tasty tropical fruit juice that comes in a recycled jar, and head to the design on the ground level to shop for coffee syphons, glasses made from recycled glass soda bottles, T-shirts, jewelry, organic coffee body scrub and premium coffee beans weighed out on an old school scale.

We love that each and every coffee order is served on a wooden paddle with a glass of water and a small Balinese cake or sweet. The owners and staff here are super friendly, and eager to give you the lowdown on the different coffees and roasting and pouring techniques. The classic Indonesian cuisine on offer is also fresh and vibrant, and Seniman has recently added a drool-worthy breakfast menu. Moreover, the cafe has become a hip expat hangout for its great coffee and cuisine, super fast Wi-Fi and cool playlists, so it is easy to find cool people to chat to here who know what’s up in Ubud.

Seniman also offers ‘Tasting Workshops’ held at the Studio twice a week. These include an introduction to coffee, coffee tasting, and a roasting and brewing demonstration. Enquire for schedule and bookings for these fun, interactive programs.